A new 1News Verian poll shows Labour maintaining a slim lead over National in party support, but both of New Zealand’s biggest parties have lost ground since April while smaller parties and undecided voters have gained.

The poll of 1,001 eligible voters, taken between 13 and 17 June 2026, puts Labour on 32% of the party vote, down 5 percentage points from the previous 1News Verian poll in mid-April.

National is on 29%, down 1 point over the same period.

Party Vote Breakdown

Here’s how the main parties compare to the April poll:

• Labour: 32% (down 5 points)
• National: 29% (down 1 point)
• Green Party: 13% (up 2 points)
• New Zealand First: 11% (up 1 point)
• ACT: 6% (down 1 point)
• The Opportunities Party (TOP): 4.6% (up 1.6 points)
• Te Pāti Māori: 2% (steady)
• Undecided / don’t know / refused: 14% (up 5 points)

These party vote figures exclude undecided voters, as is standard in New Zealand polling.

The undecided group rising to 14% is one of the most striking results, it suggests many voters are still making up their minds or are unhappy with the current options.

Preferred Prime Minister

• Christopher Luxon (National): 18% (up 2 points)
• Chris Hipkins (Labour): 16% (down 3 points)
• Winston Peters (New Zealand First): 10% (down 2 points)
• Chlöe Swarbrick (Greens): 6% (steady)
• David Seymour (ACT): 4% (steady)

One of the more positive findings for the current government is a sharp turnaround in how voters feel about the economy.

Optimism about New Zealand’s economic outlook has risen to 34% – up 8 percentage points since the February poll. Pessimism has dropped dramatically from 52% to 33% (down 19 points).

This is the biggest improvement in economic sentiment recorded in recent 1News Verian polling.

• Parties that get 5% or more of the party vote (or win an electorate seat) qualify for list seats.
• The Opportunities Party at 4.6% is close to that threshold.
• Te Pāti Māori usually wins electorate seats (especially in Māori electorates), so its low party vote doesn’t stop it from having MPs in Parliament.

The current National–ACT–New Zealand First coalition and the main opposition parties (Labour + Greens, with Te Pāti Māori often aligning on some issues) are running very close on these numbers.

About This Poll

• Sample size: 1,001 eligible New Zealand voters
• Method: Mix of telephone (random mobile calls) and online panels
• Margin of error: Maximum ±3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level (larger for smaller parties or sub-groups)
• Weighting: Adjusted to match Statistics New Zealand population figures for age, gender, region, ethnicity and education